St. Paul daily globe., 1887-05-16
THE ECHECKER CONTROVERSY
Briggs Sets TruaX Right and De-
nies Certain Allegations.

Briggs Sets TruaX Right and De-
nies Certain Allegations.
To the Editor of the Globe:
In the last issue of the Wilkin County
Gazette DR.. Truax has an articlel in
which he states that said, through the
columns of your paper, that Mr.. Barker
won every game from him in their re-
cent series in Minneapolis and st. Paul,
and calls it one of my big lies. AS you
well know, did not write the article in
question, neither did | furnish any OF
the statements therein contained. Ihey
played in Minneapolis twelve games, in
st. Paul two. OF the former Mr.. Barker
won ten, of the latter one, the other
three games being drawn. Through a
mistake the score was published as
twelve games won and two drawn. He
next states that had told him person
ally that Mr.. Barker had thrown games
where we had exhibited so as to
catch suckers, especially in the
case of Percy Brodt, the Wisconsin
champion. DIR. TruaX simply lies. L
was never with Mr.. Truax except in the
company of Mr.. Barker and others and
said nothing to him about the games
played with Mr.. Brodt or with any other
person, and only answered such ques-
tlons as he asked and arranged for his
games with Mr.. Barker. He further
says that promised tOpay his expenses
to Minneapolis and then refused to do
so. In the latter part of March OF the
play Mr.. Barker for 500 a side, Mr..
Barker to win twenty games before Mr..
IruaX should win two. He then wrote
me letter in which he stated that he
would play for good stake but pre-
ferred to play an exhibition series and
would come down and play fifty games
for S13. L wrote him that would pay
him that amount toplay fifty games and
told him to answer me, but he paid
no attention to my letter, but came out
with great bluff i'll the papers, stating
that he would play Barker for $500 a
side. paid no attention to this, and
there the matter dropped until | re-
ceived postal from him on the 25th of
marked April "A, several days after
Barker's arrival in Minneapolis had
been announced III the papers, asking
II Barker was coming, and wanting to
know what arrangements had been
made. l wrote that Barker was here; /;
that Mr.. Grimshaw thought he could
raise S13 for him if he would come down,
al" asked if he would come and
play thirty games for that
amount. DR.. Truax, in reply,
stated that he wanted to Elay
only sixteen games. After that l had
no further correspondence with him.
He then wrote Mr.. Barker asking if he
would come to Breckenridge to play.
Mr.. Barker wrote him that he had made
arrangements that would prevent it.
Mr.. TruaX then telegraphed Mr.. Barker
that he was coming, and on the next
day he came. And that is all there is to
my having promised to pay his expenses
to Minneapolis. He then states that he
has other facts in regard to my history
which he will publish if 1 do not keep
still, and proving that Mr.. Barker and
myself have had some talk of starting a
checker paper. He says, that in his
opinion, any person sending me money
for anything would get left, and adds
that he proposes to send his article to
every checker paper in this country and
Great Britain. Now Mr.. TruaX has
made all these ScurrilouS remarks with
out any cause whatever, except that
he feels sore. | stopped playing with
him last winter when | was two games
to his nothing and that made him mad.
He wrote to the Turf, Field and Farm
that while here he defeated Mr. Kirk.
eX-champion of Wisconsin, three games
out of four, the other being drawn, but
mentioned none of the other scores. L
sent them the full score and that made
him mad. And now he is not at all
pleased with his score with Mr.. Barker.
at least he does not publish it. In con-
clusion [ will say that Of all the games
played by Mr.. Barker while l was with
him, he did not to my knowl-
edge Intentionally lose single
game. OF course he played care
leSsly in some and took chances
relying on his ability to lead his oppo-
nents into traps. Mr.. Truax is the only
person who has complained of Mr.
Barker's ''laying for suckers" Perhaps
he now thinks he has reason to do so.
Mr.. Barker played quite carefully with
him, thinking that he had a much better
opponent to contend with, knowing that
he had quite reputation among the
country players, which has, however,
been chiefly acquired by his peculiar
style of publishing the scores of his
games. f. a. briggs.